The Red Agent
by emily.down
Summary: AU. In a dystopic society where Harry Potter is Tom Riddle's right-hand man, the Weasleys are one of the last symbols of opposition. That is until Harry is ordered to bring Ginny Weasley to Lord Riddle. R&R.


_1: At the Weasleys_

"You're not exactly threatening, you know that?"

Harry Potter, the Ministry's Red Agent, looked up from his Magical Detector and stared into Ron Weasley's frosty blue eyes.

"I never realized I was a threat to begin with," he replied, tracing his finger across the Detector's surface.

"No? Well, let me refresh your memory. You march in here like you own the place, no warning, no Ministry warrant, and you put us all through _hell_ with your questioning. Then you expect a cup of tea –"

"I was thirsty…" Harry interrupted him good-humouredly.

" – which you proceed to smash for not being well-made – "

"I said no sugar, I'm sorry if I put you out, but I can't stand sugar," Harry interrupted again.

" – then you start searching the place for illegal goods, as if we were a pack of common thieves! And then, then you tell everyone to leave and call me in here to show me how your bloody Detector works!"

Short-tempered, very short-tempered, Harry remarked. Then again this wasn't the first time he was at the other end of his irrational rage.

"I thought you'd appreciate good craftsmanship, as your department specializes in that sort of stuff," Harry explained, shrugging his shoulders.

"Why did you want to speak in private? What can't you tell to the whole family?"

"I don't know what's got you so upset, Weasley. It's not like I had nothing better to do on a Sunday than visit your modest dwelling. But, a man's work is never done."

Ron clenched and unclenched his fists several times before he finally sat down in the opposite seat.

"Just spit it out, Potter. We're already worried as it is."

"Worried? That's new," Harry remarked, smiling. He was right. The Weasleys were famed for their delusional sense of courage. It verged on insolence.

"I'm not going to stand here and wait any longer. We have a right to know why – "

"Calm down, already, we're only waiting for your sister," Harry let him know.

Ron stopped short and stared at him in confusion. "My sister? What do you mean we're waiting for my sister?"

Harry took off his glasses and proceeded to wipe them while he glanced out the window.

"She'll be arriving soon. She's gone to visit the Lovegoods."

"How do you know that?"

Harry only raised an eyebrow dismissively.

"All right, _why_ are we waiting for her?"

"That's why I called you in here. I know you are her assigned partner for the Bridge works. And I know you are her favourite brother. So it's only fair I speak to you first. I try to do things the right way, you know?"

Ron quickly grabbed his sleeve across the table.

"Potter, what do you want with her? If this is about her absence, she was ill these last two weeks, that's why she couldn't attend the Gathering. She did nothing wrong. I checked with her supervisor, she was not charged with anything. She is one of the best – "

Harry removed his arm swiftly from his grip and put his glasses back on.

"Please, Weasley, don't insult my intelligence. Do you think I would have come here for a mere penalization? The Ministry can take care of that."

Ron's eyes widened in their sockets.

"Then, what? What is it? What do you need her for?"

Harry flipped his Detector open once more and gazed at the swirling bits inside.

"_I_ don't need her for anything. His Lord and Master would like a private audience, however."

Ron's entire frame collapsed on itself. He would have fallen out of his chair had he not steadied himself against the table.

"Lord Riddle would like an audience?" Ron asked bewildered.

"If it's not too much trouble. She will only pay him a short visit in the country side, the purpose of which will remain unknown for now, I'm afraid. Please don't ask me the details of her stay, I'll be contacting you later in case something comes up. She will be well taken care of, as you can imagine," Harry spoke calmly, using his more formal speech to avoid any unnecessary complications.

Ron had barely registered the entirety of his words when he jumped up as if burnt.

"This is really not possible! Ginny can't be going anywhere in her state! I'm sorry but she's been ill, she's in no condition to travel at this point and besides, the festivities are coming up, she would be needed for– "

"I believe His Lord and Master wouldn't have asked her this _favour_ if she wasn't apt to perform her duties. As it is, I don't think you'd like to oppose such a reasonable demand, would you?" Harry asked, a small quiver slipping into his voice.

Ron ran a shaking hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down.

"And you're here to take her, is that it?"

"I'm afraid there's no one else at the moment, Weasley," Harry told him, smiling invitingly as if to say he was the safest choice.

"I'd like to see you try and take her away from us. Even if you do, don't think we'll just sit aside and watch her perish in a God forsaken place."

"I'd really watch my tone if I were you, Weasley, because I'm getting tired of your lack of cooperation. You act as if you did not trust your ruler, the one who promises to provide and look after your sister. You act as if you had something against his judgement. In which case, by all means, make an appeal, he would like to hear what you have to say."

Ron watched Harry in dismay. He was hoping, absurdly so, that the man in front of him would somehow be able to empathize, just for a second. That he would drop the speeches and the cold act and talk sincerely for once and tell him what he really thought about taking a young girl away from her family. But Potter did not understand what he was going through. He couldn't. He was a mere puppet, a hollow pawn in his master's hands. What did he know of real life, of family, of love and trust, of comfort, of freedom? He was only a good agent, doing what he was ordered to without useless questioning, without over-analyzing the aspects of his job. He'd been that way ever since Ron could remember hearing about Lord Riddle's right hand man.

"I…can't make an appeal. I've got nothing to say against his rule. He's fed us and given us homes, he hasn't punished…many, he…" Ron rambled on anxiously, "he has been just to a limit and he has been forgiving to an extent, but he has asked too much this time."

"The company of your sister is asking too much?" Harry asked.

"At the moment, yes. Look, I'd be perfectly happy to accompany her when she recovers and I'd be willing to stay with her, just let her have her peace. It's not fair that she should be dragged out of her house – "

"Is that how you imagine I'll do it?"

"No, but, let's face it, Potter. We all know you by reputation."

"If you're telling me to be careful with the professional Quidditch player who is also at the top of her work team, then you probably don't know your sister that well. She is not exactly delicate, is she?"

"You know what I mean, Potter, I have my reasons to –"

It was at that moment that the kitchen's backdoor swung open and a girl with crimson red hair and dark brown eyes rushed in, dumping three large bags of vegetables near one of the cupboards close by.

She was halfway through unbuttoning her coat when she finally looked up.

Her brother was standing in the middle of the room, as white as a sheet. And there was a raven-haired man sitting at the table, who was staring at her from the corner of his eye…

She doubled up. She recognized him from the newspapers. Was that Harry Potter? In their house?

"Well, this is a surprise," she said breathlessly. "You've…never…honoured us before, Mr. Potter."

Harry took on a more pleasant mien as he inspected the young girl from head to toe.

"Miss Weasley, glad you could join us. Please, don't shy away."

"Ah…is there a certain reason for your visit?" Ginny asked, stepping towards him cautiously.

"I'm looking at it right now," Harry said matter-of-factly, his expression hardening.

Ginny tried to smile, but it failed miserably. She ignored the tremor in her legs as she took off her coat. Ron took it from her absently.

He touched her shoulders gently.

"Gin, Potter came here tonight to…make you a proposition."

"Me? A proposition?" Ginny asked, chuckling forcefully. "How novel."

Harry smiled in acquiescence, but his eyes showed he was growing impatient.

"I wouldn't call it that, but your brother is hinting at something similar."

"But I've talked to him about it," Ron interrupted him, taking Ginny's hand in his, "and I think we can arrive at some sort of understanding. You're obviously still in convalescence."

"Well I…I would still like to hear what it's all about," Ginny said, trying to keep the smile on her face.

"It seems I've found the wisest of the Weasleys, after all," Harry commented amused. "Well, Miss Weasley, you've been summoned by his Lordship. You're to come and see him right away. He is most anxious to speak with you."

Not even Ginevra Weasley could keep her frozen smile in place after that.

"Oh…Lord Riddle…wishes to see me? Now? When the festivities are upon us?"

"Oh, you shouldn't worry about that anymore, it's all taken care of," Harry told her amiably. "You won't be bothered with auxiliary duties once we arrive."

"Why has his Lordship summoned me, exactly? Does he need my help?" Ginny asked, her voice cracking slightly.

"I'm sure he can tell you better than I can, as I'm not exactly fully informed myself. But it's much better to hear it straight from the source, isn't it? Whatever it is, it's no trifle. It demands immediate attention, otherwise I wouldn't be standing here."

Ginny nodded her head reluctantly. "Of course."

"Now hang on, we haven't established anything yet," Ron blurted out upset. "She's not leaving tonight, not until we get some confirmation of her safety. And there's plenty of time tomorrow for a longer discussion. My sister is tired, she can't be travelling right now."

Ron could hear the whimper in his own voice. He was pathetic. He bit his tongue. He had to remain adamant.

Harry, however, was getting quite tired of the charade. It was getting late and he had other business to attend to.

"No, you will find she is perfectly capable of travelling _tonight,_ in _my_ company. She'll have the house elf pack a few necessary items and then we can be on our way. I will make sure she says her goodbyes to her family, even if we're on a tight schedule and I shouldn't even be having this conversation at this point. But I'm a flexible man and you'll see I can be a generous one too. Now, if we have to go over this one more time, I'm afraid I'll have to have my colleagues send for Miss Granger to persuade you in my place. I hear she's quite the lawyer."

Ron was visibly shaken at the mention of her name. Hermione Granger had been his secret fiancée for more than three years now and the sheer possibility of her being involved in this was enough to make him nauseous.

"I see you wouldn't want me to bother," Harry surmised, looking him up and down. "That's kind of you. Now, Miss Weasley, how about you go get ready? I see your brother is still trying to cope with the situation and I can't get him to be reasonable. I'm sensing you have a better head for these sorts of things."

Ginny dropped her brother's hand and took the coat from him, wrapping it around her body like a shield. She was no longer trying to smile, or be civil in any way.

"Generally I do. But this _is_ a special case."

"I'm sure you can handle it. I've seen you handle worse," Harry commented, his eyes landing on the scar that was half-hidden by the collars of her shirt.

Ginny felt cold water run down her back when she noticed his stare. How could he possibly know about…?

"So then, how long will it take?" Harry interrupted her thoughts.

There was a pause in which she tried to compose her answer. Ron, who had recovered slightly, grabbed her arm and turned her towards him. He shook his head silently.

Ginny sighed and extricated herself from his hold.

"Don't worry, I'll be down in half an hour," she spoke coolly, all the while her insides burning with anger and fear.

Harry only nodded his head in contentment.

As she turned towards the entrance to the living room, he quickly took out his wand and shot a small spell in her direction which made Ron yelp in alarm.

"Merlin's beard, calm down Weasley! It's just a small precaution," Harry explained annoyed. "In case Miss Weasley decides to flee suddenly."

Ginny stared daggers at him.

"I won't."

"Make sure your family is just as aware. Or else I will know."

"I'm sure you will," she replied, through gritted teeth.

After she had made her exit, Harry chuckled to himself.

"She's got quite a mouth on her, doesn't she?"

Ron only fell down absently in his chair, a resigned look on his face.


End file.
